Local H, “Here Comes the Zoo,” Palm Pictures. Hidden amongst the contemporary alterna-rock heavy mix are some fairly pleasant little melodies. Had these guys come along back in the 70s, they may have put together something a little bit more in line with the work of Cheap Trick, rock classicists with power and heft. Now, the production does overwhelm things, but I’d still rather hear this than almost anything it’s trying to emulate.

Queen, “Jazz,” Elektra Records. Ya know, Queen really weren’t half bad. They were certainly as eclectic a rock band as ever achieved huge mainstream success. Their guitarist was a crazy man, a melodically inventive player who could convince listeners he was just rocking along like a madman. And Freddie Mercury was an amazing vocalist of great range, both in the number of notes he could reach and the number of styles he could try. This was one of their most consistently entertaining albums.